Architect: SOMA Architecture, Wien, Austria   
Location: Salzburg, Austria

Austrian architecture studio SOMA has designed a temporary music pavilion for the Salzburg Biennale, a festival focused on current international developments in contemporary music.

SOMA’s proposal was chosen as the first prize winner in an open two-stage competition. The main design intent was to create a recognizable presence for contemporary art and music within Salzburg, a city that is predominantly known for classical music.
The pavilion’s structure creates oscillating spatial effects by arraying a simple element, a 2 meter long aluminium profile. Based on rule and variation, a theme that is inherent to both architecture and music, the structure features simple repetitious elements that provoke curiosity and entices visitors to enter.

A mass of single sticks merge into a singular, permeable structure that changes in its appearance throughout the day, according to the different light conditions. The PVC/PES membrane, spanned between the arches, functions as climate cover and water bearing layer.  Deceptive in its form and materiality, the reflective pavilion allows for an ambivalent reading as both singular members and a merging conglomerate, depending on the distance it is viewed from. While irregular, the arrangement still shows as a homogeneous distribution of density and rhythm.

The result is an optimized solution within set architectural parameters that is based on a minimized amount of sticks and shows an emergent load bearing behavior. The pavillon can be divided into individual segments to adapt to different locations. the adjustable floor as well as the removable interior membrane heighten the flexibility of use.

Technical info: PVC/PES Valmex membrane
Picture credits: SOMA Architecture